Rotary propane steam engine road vehicle

ABSTRACT

The Rotary Propane Steam Engine and Road Vehicle is an invention that substitutes a low carbon fuel, propane, to supply energy to a road vehicle, which can be used in place of the polluting gasoline engine. 
     Propane gas is used to boil water spray and the resulting steam moves the rotary parts of the engine, and subsequently, the shaft that powers the transmission and in turn, the wheels of the vehicle. By means gears and pulley, the alternator generates electricity to supply power to the vehicle&#39;s accessories as well as to charge the battery, which is needed to ignite the propane gas when starting the engine. 
     The Rotary engine has relatively few moving parts when compared to its gasoline counterpart and the widespread use of propane as the source of energy for road vehicles can lead to less dependence on foreign oil.

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The automobile engine has undergone many improvements over the past century. Piston and gasoline combustion engines have dominated the market from the onset. When the automobile industry was beginning, steam power engines were competing with its gasoline counterparts. However, because of the Ford Corporation's early assembly line technique and other factors, the gasoline engine dominated the automobile industry and the steam engine automobile was abandoned.

Over the course of time, engines have become more powerful. With the increased gasoline consumption associated with the increasing price of crude oil, Americans find themselves in a financial bind when driving their gasoline cars and trucks. In addition, the gasoline engine has been responsible for or has aggravated many health problems, such as chronic lead poisoning, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchial asthma and cancer.

Investigation of alternate types of fuels and engine modifications have been of keen interest to make America less dependent on foreign oil. Brazil has switched from gasoline to corn product fuel to power their automobiles. Another, low carbon chemical that possibly can be used to power engines is propane. Burning this low carbon chemical does not produce the toxins that is associated with the combustion of gasoline. However, the problem of using propane to power an engine has been a problem, which is solved with the following design of the Rotary Propane Steam Engine.

The rotary engine has been successful when powered by combustion of gasoline. This type of engine uses far fewer moving parts than its piston counterpart. The following invention uses steam, produced by the heat of burning propane, to power The Rotary Steam Engine and Road Vehicle.

CURRENT US CLASS: FIELD OF SEARCH 7,441,534 October 2008 Baston Rotary engine system 5685269 November 1997 Wittrey High Speed Rotary Engine 4646694 March 1987 Fawcett Rotary Engine 4136661 January 1979 Posson Rotary Engine 7434563 October 20083 Kim Rotary Engine 7421986 September 2008 Yakhnis Rotary Internal Combustion Piston Engine 7395805 July 2008 MacMurray Single Cycle Rotary Engine 7308884 September 2006 Tathuzaki Rotary Engine 7424802 September 2008 Yatsuzuka Steam Engine 7415824 August 2008 Komaki Steam Engine 7314104 January 2008 Ketcham Steam Driven Road Vehicle 7100582 September 2006 Bach Propane Injection Control System 5884460 March 1999 Serravalle Propane Powered Lawn Equipment 5704387 January 1998 Sims Propane Reserve System

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A steel canister holds water under pressure. When released the water is forced through a small nozzle, causing a very fine spray into a heated water spray chamber and quickly is turned into steam. The water spray chamber is heated by propane burners located below the chamber. The propane is supplied by a pressurized propane canister used in a standard outdoor grill. The steam enters the first of three steam chambers through a steam intake opening, forcing the chamber to rotate. A second steam chamber then fills with steam and rotates, and finally the third chamber fills with steam. As the steam chambers rotate, steam from the chamber is released through the steam outlet opening, permitting more steam to enter the chamber as it comes in contact with the steam intake opening.

The speed of the engine is controlled by the amount of steam sprayed into the chambers. The engine in turn rotates the large shaft, which through gears and pulley activates the alternator used for electrical accessories and to charge the 12 volt battery, which is needed to ignite the propane burner when starting the vehicle. When the clutch is engaged, the large shaft's power is transmitted to the transmission and then to the wheels of the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 displays the Rotary Propane Steam Engine. The outer shell (2) encloses the mobile inner shell (3) and the three steam chambers (4)[a,b,c]. The engine rotates the large shaft (5 a). Propane gas comes into the engine through pipes attached to the pressurized propane gas chamber.

A connect/disconnect valve (22) allows the propane canister to be connected and disconnected to the engine. A gauge (20) indicates the quantity of propane gas inside the canister. Safety switches (19, 22) permits turning the gas on or off. The propane gas is fed into the burner unit (17), which is initially lit by an electric ignitor (23).

The gas flame of the burner (17) heats up the water spray chamber (9). Water is supplied to the engine via a pressurized water container (14). A valve (15) allows the canister to be connected and disconnected and gauge (16) indicates the remaining quantity of water left in the water canister (18). The pressurized water flows through a foot control valve (13) and then through a small nozzle (10) causing the water to finely spray into the water spray chamber (9).

The high pressured steam flows through the steam intake opening (6) into a steam chamber (4 b), causing the inner shell (3) to turn, after which the next steam chamber (4 a) fills with steam and adds to the momentum of the moving inner shell (3). When the final steam chamber (4 c) fills with steam, the first steam chamber (4 b) empties out excessive steam through the steam/water exhaust opening (7), and then into the steam/water exhaust pipe (8). The procedure of the water chambers filling with steam repeats itself, causing the rotary engine to turn faster and faster.

FIG. 2 views the Rotary Propane Steam Engine and Road Vehicle. The Rotary Steam Engine turns the large shaft (5 a) and when the clutch (25) is engaged, the turning large shaft (5) brings power into the transmission unit (26). Gears (24) attached to the large shaft (5) turn the small shaft (5 a) which via a belt (27) activates the alternator (29) which charges the battery (30) and supplies electricity to the vehicle accessories. The battery (30) sends electricity to the ignitor when starting the engine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Rotary Propane Steam Engine and Road Vehicle can be used in place of the combustion gasoline engine and road vehicle. The propane engine is powered by steam and not refined petroleum distillates that is currently the major form of engine power.

Pressurized propane gas is commercially supplied in canisters, such as those used in outdoor grills. Similar canisters can be used to hold water under pressure. These canisters supply the propane gas and water needed to run the rotary propane engine. Connect/Disconnect valves are used to replace the water and propane canisters when needed. The volumes of the propane and water are monitored by the their respective gauges.

The propane pathways have safety valves to control the flow of propane gas into the burners which heats up the water spray chamber. The pressurized water flows past the foot valve that controls its volume and is converted into a very fine spray as it flows through the water spray nozzle into the water spray chamber.

The fine water spray is converted quickly into high volume steam and escapes through the steam intake opening into the overlying steam chamber. As the steam fills the chamber, the mobile inner shell rotates, moving the second chamber and eventually the third steam chamber into place, so they can fill with steam. The inner shell and shafts rotate faster as momentum is achieved. As the last of the three chambers comes over the steam intake opening, the original chamber releases any water or steam into the exhaust opening into the steam exhaust pipe.

Through a set of gears, a small shaft is also set into motion, which in turn through a pulley activates the alternator, supplying electricity for the accessories and charging the 12 volt battery. The battery is needed to activate the ignitor which ignites the propane burner.

When a clutch of the large shaft is activated, the power is transmitted to the transmission and subsequently to the wheels of the vehicle. 

1. The Rotary Propane Steam Engine and Road Vehicle is a stream driven devise in which steam, produced by boiling water spray using the heat of burning propane gas, drives a rotary engine by means of forcing steam into the one of three rotating steam chambers and releasing the steam as that steam chamber rotates past the steam/water exhaust opening; the propane being supplied by a commercial propane tank as used in a propane outdoor grill; the water from a similar pressurized canister.
 2. The Rotary Steam Engine turns a shaft which by gears and belt powers a small alternator which is used for electrical accessories, like headlights and radio, as well as charging a 12 volt battery, needed to ignite the propane, and via a clutch is attached to the transmission of the vehicle.
 3. Necessary switches and gauges control the flow of water and propane, and appropriate valves allow for the easy release of the canisters when replacement is necessary. 